Slimming clubs. Any opinions?

HI there.  Many of my friends and co-workers are members of such clubs.  One of my co-workers attends slimming world once a week and talks about 'green' and 'red' days - it makes no sense to me to colour a day.  She talks of food being 'syns' and she is only allowed so many per day.  She maintain that it works for her... but she has not lost any weight.  She eats alot but says that it is allowed depending on the different coloured days. 

Does anyone attend slimming world or weight watchers or something similar and does it work?  To me it's quite simple... energy in Vs energy out - create a deficit = weight loss or create a surplus = weight gain or an equal balance = maintain weight. 

Is it the socail aspect people go for and also the support network that comes with it?  I just dont get red or green days and calling food a syn!

Happy for all opinions or mini debates.

they work for some people, but i doubt it's the program that's effective; it's the psychological effect of paying for it. 

an investment (money, time, energy, belief) can increase commitment.  what happens after the person stops investing, though - that's the big question.

then there's the saving-face part: i not only invested, i told people i was investing.  i wouldn't have done that if it wasn't worthwhile (therefore, if it doesn't work, or if i gain the weight back, it must be because i screwed up, not because there's something wrong with the program).

i'm with you: eat less, move more.

Everyone that I have met who has been a member of one of these groups has either left without the desired results or has joined repeatedly, still without the desired results. I personally feel that it expensive and doesn't work.

I also don't understand the red and green days. I don't think the calorific value comes into it? If not, I don't understand how you track how much you have actually eaten.

My colleagues and I took part in a weight loss thing at work, we all were weighed once a week and all put £1 in each week. The person who lost the most weight by the agreed date was given all of the money that we had put in. We had the social aspect of it and the added bonus of possibly 'winning' your money back plus more.

most of the people that I have known that have went to weight watchers etc. have done well, while they remained on it, then got away from it and gained the weight back. that said, diets don't work. It takes a change in your life, and in your  mind etc and sticking to whatever plan you choose. calories in and calories out also( with a few exceptions that I am no expert about).  I have found calorie counting to be the best for me, and I have been doing it for about a year and nine months or so. the longest I have stuck to anything in my adult life, and I am 42.  I was never terribly overweight until I was in my early 30's, then just kept adding about 10 lbs a year until I ended up at 280.. I am at 210-215 now.  Still trying to lose weight, but am platueaued for the last 10 months, so have been only maintaining.  I need to drop my calorie intake by 300-500 a day to keep losing. I am still doing my exercise. 2-3 miles a day walking, and pilates nightly for 30 mins.( so the calorie cut is my biggest hurdle right now.  I do not put anything off limits if it fits within my calories for the day.  I have however been having far too many freedays lately in which I do stay within 2000-2500 calories but eat more than reg. days.  I need to get back to my one " freeday" a week. that seemed to work well with me. IN THE END STICKING TO WHATEVER YOU CHOSE IS THE KEY..... AND DO NOT DEPRIVE YOURSELF OF SOMETHING YOU LOVE BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONE THING THAT WILL CAUSE YOU TO FALL OFF AND BINGE. ALLOW YOURSELF ENJOYMENT, JUST DO IT IN MODERATION.....  AND IF YOU FALL OFF ONE DAY.. DO NOT ALLOW IT TO THROW YOU.. GET BACK ON THE NEXT DAY.  I USED TO THINK ALL OR NOTHING.... I REALIZE NOW THAT WE ARE ALL HUMAN AND HAVE OUR OFF DAYS... THE IMPORTANT THING... IS GETTING BACK ON...